Musical wind instrument register mechanism



Dec. 29, 1964 LEBLANC 3,163,074

MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT REGISTER MECHANISM Filed April 17, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR Dec. 29, 1964 L. LEBLANC 3,153,074

MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT REGISTER MECHANISM Filed April 17, 1964 s SheetsSheet a INVENTOR.

United States Patent i 3,163,74 MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT REGISTE MECHANISM Leon Leblanc, Paris, France, assignor to G. Leblanc Corporation, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Apr. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 36tl,693 6 Qlaims. (Cl. Sa -3S2) This invention relates to musical wind instruments, and more particularly to an improved mechanism for playing the upper register of a contrabass or contra-alto clarinet.

Contrabass and contra-alto clarinets are among the instruments producing the very lowest orchestral tones. They are generally not used as melody instruments, but rather to provide body or a base to the orchestra. Such instruments inherently are quite large in size, and heretofore efforts have been made to keep the over all vertical height relatively low by multiply curving the body of the instrument. The body has comprised a straight front section with a lower curved or bight portion joining this front section to a rear upright section almost as high as the front section and having a terminating bell at the upper end deflected somewhat forwards. An upper curved or bight section has been fixed to the top end of the front body section and has had affixed thereto a depending rear body section overlapping the aforementioned upstanding rear body section, and having a curved neck and mouth piece thereon. Although the construction as just outlined provides a contrabass or contra-alto clarinet of limited vertical height, it leads to rather considerable complications in manufacture and in regulation. All three of the body sections noted have tone holes thereon, and it will be obvious that linkages among tone hole covers on these three body sections necessarily are complicated.

Accordingly, it is proposed herewith to provide a contrabass or contra-alto clarinet in which all operating mechanisms are substantially on a single body section.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for playing the upper register of a contrabass or contra-alto clarinet.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a contrabass or contra-alto clarinet having an improved register key mechanism with all parts operating in substantially a straight line.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a contrabass clarinet constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged rear view of a portion of the instrument as taken substantially along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 taken from substantially the opposite side of the instrument, as indicated by the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view through the instrument substantially along the line 44 in. FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the line 55 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the line 6-6 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view substantially along the line 7-7 in FIG. 2;

3,163,074 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view on a further enlarged scale corresponding generally to FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 8 and showing the thumb lever cooperable with the parts of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a detailed view of a portion of a clarinet as taken substantially along the line 1010 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 11 is a vertical view partly in cross section taken substantially along the line 11-11 in FIGS. 8 and 10.

Referring now in greater particularity to the drawings, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a BBb contrabass clarinet Ztl constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention. The clarinet includes a straight body 22. This body is on the order of five to six feet in length, and for convenience is made in two parts. The connection between the two joints of the body is quite immaterial to the present invention, and those interested therein may refer to my co-pending application for Musical Instrument Joint Connection, Serial Number 360,692, filed April 17, 1964. An upturned and forwardly opening bell 24 of generally the same type used on a bass clarinet is detachably mounted at the bottom of the body. The body is provided at the top with a bight 26 and a depending reenterant portion 28. A reversely curved neck 39 is received in the bottom of the reenterant body portion 28, and preferably is held in place by the usual take up thumb screw arrangement. A conventional mouth piece 32 is received in the neck 30, and preferably is held thereto by the usual cork joint. As will be seen, a transverse brace 34 extends between the reenterant, depending body portion 28 and the main body 22 of the clarinet.

Reference now should be had to FIGS. 2 and 3. A longitudinally extending hinge rod 36 is pivotally mounted between two spaced apart posts 38 and 40. The hinge rod is also pivotally braced at an intermediate position by a post 42, all of the posts being of generally conventional construction and soldered or brazed to the body of the clarinet. A lever 44 extends laterally from this hinge rod near the lower end thereof and across the back of the instrument and has preferably formed integrally therewith a left thumb key 46. A relatively strong needle spring 48 extends longitudinally up stream from the post 38 and bears against a spur St) on the underside of the hinge rod 38 so as normally to bias the hinge rod in a counter clockwise direction, as viewed from an upstream direction, thus normally holding the thumb key 46 in raised position. The limit of this raised position is determined by an oppositely extending transverse lever 52 (see particularly FIG. 7) fixed on the hinge rod and having an extremity thereof at 54 which abuts the body 22, specifically the upper joint of the instrument through the intermediary of the cork pad 56 secured to the underside of the lever.

The lever end 54 underlies the end of a lever 58 fixed on a hinge rod 69 on the front of the instrument, and pivoted between posts 62, only one of which is shown. A transverse link 64 is fixed on the hinge rod 60 near the upper end thereof, and carries a key cup 66 and pad of conventional construction for closing a hole formed by a tube 68 on the front of the instrument. The pad and cup 66 norm-ally are raised by a needle spring acting between the upper post 62 and the pivot rod 60 (not shown herein). The cup and pad are lowered into closed position for playing of the note F when the thumb key 46 is depressed.

On the hinge rod 36 immediately downstream from the supporting or bracing post 42 there is provided a transverse link carrying a hold closing pad and cup 72 for closing a hold on the back of the instrument also used in playing the note F.

A short hinge rod 74 (FIGS. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8) extends coaxially upward-s from the hinge rod 36, being pivoted at the lower end at the post 40. Pivoting of the upper end is to be brought out hereinafter, it being understood that these hinge rods in accordance with conventional practice, actually are hollow tubes pivoted on elongated pins, although conventionally spoken of as rods. An L-shaped lever is fixed on the hinge rod 74- and extends beyond the end thereof into overlapping relation with the hinge rod 36. The hinge rod 36 is provided with a lateral arm 82 having an adjustment screw 84 at the outer end thereof bearing on the lowermost end of the L-shaped link 89. The arm 82 and screw S4 along with the L-shaped lever 81) form a one way drive connection which will be discussed further in connection with the operation of the register mechanism hereinafter.

The hinge rod '74 also is provided with a laterally extending arm 86 carrying at the outer end thereof a hole closure pad and key cup 88 for closing the Bb tone hole at the end of the tube 90 (FIG. 5). In addition, a transverse arm or link 92 extends generally in parallelism with the link 36 and beyond the pad andkey cup 88 having a relieved shoulder 94 at the end thereof. A small stud 96 (FIGS. '3 and 11) extends from the junction of the arm or lever 92 and the hinge rod 78 toward the body of the clarinet, and a relatively light needle spring 98 fixed in the post 40 bears against this stud and tends to raise the Bb pad and key cup 88 from hole closing position.

The tubular nature of the hinge rod 78 may be seen in FIG. 11, along with the elongated pin 100 extending therethr-ough up from the post 40 to a post 102 mounted on the curved or b ight portion of the instru ment. An upper or third tubular hinge rod 164 is pivotable about the pin 100 coaxial with the first two hinge rods 36 and 78, there being a junction or line of demarcation 106 between the second hinge rod 78 and the third or upper hinge rod 104. An intermediate post 108 with a bifurcated upper end serves to brace the hinge rod 104 at an intermediate position. The hinge rod 104 is provided in its lower end with a laterally extending arm or link 110 parallel to and substantially identical to the arm or link 92, and having a recess or shoulder 112 at its outer end longitudinally aligned with the recess or shoulder 94 of the arm or link 92.

At the upper end, the hinge rod 164 is provided with a laterally and upwardly projecting arm 114- canrying at the outer end thereof a pad and key cup 116 for covering the register hole provided by the tube 118 extending from the bight 26 of the instrument. A stud 120 extends from the hinge rod 104 toward the body of the instrument, and a relatively light needle spring 122 extends up from the post 108 and bears against the stud 120 tending normally to open the register hole by lifting the arm 114 and pad and cup 116.

Reference now should be had particularly to FIGS. 2, 3, and 9, wherein there will be seen a thumb spatula key 124 aligned with the thumb key 46 and disposed immediately upstream thereof. The spatula key 124 is formed with an integral right angle arm or lever 126 by means of which it is fixed to the lower end of a hinge rod 123 pivoted between a lower post 130 and a higher post 132, there being an intervening bracing post (not shown). An L-shaped lever 134 is secured to the upper end of the pivot rod 129 extending coaxially upstream from the pivot rod 128, and includes a laterally extending arm 136 parallel to, and generally similar to the arms 92 and 110, and also a longitudinally extending arm 138 having at the tip thereof an overarm 140 overlying and interfitting with the recesses or shoulders 94 and 112 of the arms 92 and 110. The upper post pivotally mounting the pivot rod 129, and not heretofore mentioned, is identified by the numeral 142. Intermediate these posts a stud 144 on the hinge rod 129 extends toward the body of the instrument, and a needle spring 146 extending from the post 132 bears against this stud tending normally to raise the L-shaped lever 134 from engagement with the arms 92 and 110.

Similarly, a relatively strong or heavy needle spring 148 extends upstream from the post 131 and bears against a stud 150 on the hinge rod 128 and tends normally to hold the thumb spatula 124 in raised position. An interconnection is made between the hinge rod 128 and the hinge rod 129 whereby the spring 148 overcomes the spring 146, thereby normally to hold the El; pad and key cup 33 in hole closing position. This connection is seen best in FIGS. 2, 3, 9 and 10. A swivel 152 is pivotally mounted by means of a screw 154 on top of a post 156 and is disposed mostly below the hinge rod 129. The swivel includes a hook-like lower arm 158 looping around the post 132 into position for engagement by a spur 160 fixed to the hinge rod 128 and extending toward the body of the instrument. The swivel 152 further includes a straight upper arm 162 extending longitudinally of the instrument into position for engagement by a spur 164 on the hinge rod 129 extending toward the body of the instrument. Normally the spring 143 forces the spur 161 against the hooked end of the swivel 152, whereby to hold the upper arm 162 thereof against the spur 164, and thereby to overcome the spring 146, whereby the L-shaped lever 138 is lifted away from the body of the instrument. With the arm 134 lifted, the spring 98 becomes effective to raise the pad and key cup 88 from the Bb hole to open this hole. Thus, it will be seen that the spring 148 normally overcomes both the springs 146 and 98.

As will be understood, when the arm 134 is raised, the lever 112 will also tend to rise under the influence of the spring 122, and this would open the register hole by lifting the pad and key cup 116 therefrom at the same time. This is resisted by a swivel 166 seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 8, 10 and 11. The swivel 166 is mounted by a screw 168 on a post 170 and is disposed mostly below the hinge rod 74, but with the upper end thereof extending below the hinge rod 104. The swivel 168 is provided with a hook-like lower end 172 extending around the post 142 into engagement with a spur 1'74 fixed on the upper end of the hinge rod 36 and extending toward the body of the instrument. The swivel further includes a substantially straight upper arm 176 extending longitudinally up the instrument body into overlapping relation with the hinge rod 194. A spur 178 fixed on the hinge rod 104- extends toward the body of the instrument'and engages the upper arm 176 of the swivel. Thus, the spring 48 acting on the hinge rod 36 normally overcomes the spring 122 tending to open the register hole. Accordingly, even though the L-shaped arm 134 is raised from engagement with the lateral arm 111), the register hole can not open until the thumb key 46 is depressed.

The function of the keys, levers, springs, key pads and cups is such that when the thumb key 46 alone is depressed, the key pads and cups 72 and 66 are lowered into hole closing position to play the note F. During this time the Bb and register holes remain closed. When the thumb spatula 124 alone is depressed, the pad and key cup 88 rise to open the Bb hole to play this note. At this time the register hole remains closed and the aforementioned F holes remain open. When both the thumb key 46 and thumb spatula 124 are simultaneously depressed, the F holes are closed, the Bb hole remains closed by virtue of the one way drive connection 80, 82,

84 and the pad and key cup 116 rise to open the register hole.

In connection with the register hole, it is worthy of note that this is frequently spoken of as the octave hole by analogy to other instruments, although correctly it is used for playing tones an octave and a half above the normal tones, and thus, strictly speaking, is termed a twelfth hole or register hole. As will be understood it is used for playing the upper register of the instrument.

It will now be realized that a greatly simplified contrabass or contra-alto clarinet has been produced by providing all of the controls more or less in a straight line without the necessity of going to additional body sections by complicated linkage. In particular, an improved mechanism has been provided for playing of the register.

The example of the invention as herein set forth is for illustrative purposes only. Various changes will no doubt occur to those skilled in the art, and will be understood as forming a part of the invention insofar as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a musical wind instrument such as a contrabass and contra-alto clarinet, the combination comprising a tubular body having a register hole, a Bb hole and at least one other tone hole therein, a first hinge rod, a second hinge rod, a third hinge rod, means mounting said hinge rods in alignment from said body for independent pivotal movement, a left thumb key, means mounting said left thumb key on said first hinge rod near the lower end thereof, hole closure means for said other tone hole, means mounting said other hole closure means on said first hinge rods spaced from said thumb key longitudinally of said instrument and movable between hole closing and hole open positions upon pivoting of said first hinge rod in response to manipulation of said thumb key, Bb tone hole closure means, means mounting said Bb tone hole closure means on said second hinge rod and movable between Bb tone hole closing and hole open position upon pivoting of said second hinge rod, spring means tending to move said Bb tone hole closure member to hole open position, an arm extending from said second hinge rod, in the vicinity of said Bb tone hole closure means, one-way force transmitting means acting between said first and second hinge rods to prevent said Bb tone hole closure means from moving into hole open position when said thumb key is depressed, register hold closure means, means mounting said register hole closing means on said third hinge rod for movement between register hole closing and hole open position, spring means tending to move said register hole closure means to hole open position, an arm on said third hinge rod similar to and extending parallel and adjacent to the arm on the second hinge rod, one-way drive means acting between said first hinge rod and said third hinge rod and effective to prevent said register hole closure member from moving to hole open position when said thumb key is raised, relatively strong spring means acting on said thumb key to maintain said thumb key raised except when manually depressed as by thumb pressure, a fourth hinge rod, a fifth hinge rod, means mounting said fourth and fifth hinge rods from said instrument body in alignment with one another but laterally spaced from said first, second and third hinge rods, a left thumb spatula, means mounting said left thumb spatula from said fourth hinge rod in close proximity to said left thumb key, relatively strong spring means acting to maintain said thumb spatula raised except when manually depressed by thumb pressure, an arm on said fifth hinge rod overlying both of the second and third hinge rod arms, and effective to hold both of the second and third hinge rod arms down except when said left thumb spatula is manually depressed as by the left thumb, whereby depression of said left thumb key alone results in closure of said other tone hole, depression of said left thumb spatula alone results 6 in opening of said Bb tone hole, and simultaneous depression of said left thumb key and said left thumb spatula results in opening of said register hole.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and further including relatively light spring means acting on said fifth hinge rod and tending to lift the arm thereon.

3. In a musical wind instrument such as a contrabass and contra-alto clarinet, the combination comprising a tubular body having a register hole, a Bb hole and at least one other tone hole, said tone holes lying substantially in a straight line longitudinally of said body, a first hinge rod, a second hinge rod, a third hinge rod, means mounting said hinge rods with a common axis in alignment from said body for independent pivotal movement, at least two of said tone holes lying on one side of said hinge rod axis, a left thumb key, means mounting said left thumb key on said first hinge rod near the lower end thereof, hole closure means for said other tone hole, means mounting said other hole closure means on said fifth hinge rod spaced from said thumb key longitudinally of said instrument and movable between hole closing and hole open positions upon pivoting of said first hinge rod in response to manipulation of said thumb key, Bb tone hole closure means, means mounting said Bb tone hole closure means on said second hinge rod and movable between Bb tone hole closing and hole open position upon pivoting of said second hinge rod, spring means tending to move said Bb tone hole closure member to hole open position, an arm extending from said second hinge rod in the vicinity of said Bb tone hole closure means, one-way force transmitting means acting between said first and second hinge rod to prevent said Bb tone hole closure means from moving to hole open position when said thumb key is depressed, register hole closure means, means mounting said register hole closing means on said third hinge rod for movement between register hole closing and hole open positions, spring means tending to move said register hole closure means to hole open position, an arm on said third hinge rod similar to and extending parallel to and adjacent to the arm on the second hinge rod, one-way drive means acting between said first hinge rod and said third hinge rod and effective to prevent said register hole closure member from moving to hole open position when said thumb key is raised, spring means acting on said thumb key to maintain said thumb key raised except when manually depressed as by thumb pressure, a fourth hinge rod, a fifth hinge rod, means mounting said fourth and fifth hinge rods about a second common axis from said instrument body and in alignment with one another laterally spaced from the axis of said first three hinge rods and lying between the axis of the first three hinge rods and at least said two of said tone holes, a left thumb spatula, means mounting said left thumb spatula from said fourth hinge rod in close proximity to said left thumb key, relatively strong spring means acting to maintain said thumb spatula raised except when manually depressed as by thumb pressure, an arm on said fifth hinge rod overlying both of the second and third hinge rod arms, and effective to hold both of the second and third hinge rod arms down except when said left thumb spatula is manually depressed as by the left thumb, a one-way drive connection between said fourth and fifth hinge rods acting to hold the fifth hinge rod down except when said thumb spatula is depressed, whereby depression of said left thumb key alone results in closure of said other tone hole, depression of said left thumb spatula alone results in opening of said Bb tone hole, and simultaneous depression of said left thumb key and said left spatula results in opening of said register hole.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the means mounting the other tone hole closure means on said first hinge rod comprises an arm spanning the axis of the fourth and fifth hinge rods, said Bb and register holes being disposed beyond the end of said fifth hinge rod.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein the one-way drive means acting between the first hinge rod and the third hinge rod comprises a swivel pivoted about an axis substantially radial of said instrument body, said swivel lying between the axis of said first, second, and third hinge rods and said body, and wherein the oneway drive means acting between the fourth and fifth &

of the fourth and fifth hinge rods and said body and pivoted about an axis substantially radial of said body.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the instrument body comprises an elongated straight section and a bight, said Bb tone hole and said other tone hole being on said straight portion and said register hole being on said bight.

No references cited.

hinge rods comprises a swivel disposed between the axis 10 LEYLAND M. MARTIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A MUSICAL WIND INSTRUMENT SUCH AS A CONTRABASS AND CONTRA-ALTO CLARINET, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A TUBULAR BODY HAVING A REGISTER HOLE, A BB HOLE AND AT LEAST ONE OTHER TONE HOLE THEREIN, A FIRST HINGE ROD, A SECOND HINGE ROD, A THIRD HINGE ROD, MEANS MOUNTING SAID HINGE RODS IN ALIGNMENT FROM SAID BODY FOR INDEPENDENT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT, A LEFT THUMB KEY, MEANS MOUNTING SAID LEFT THUMB KEY ON SAID FIRST HINGE ROD NEAR THE LOWER END THEREOF, HOLE CLOSURE MEANS FOR SAID OTHER TONE HOLE, MEANS MOUNTING SAID OTHER HOLD CLOSURE MEANS ON SAID FIRST HINGE RODS SPACED FROM SAID THUMB KEY LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID INSTRUMENT AND MOVABLE BETWEEN HOLE CLOSING AND HOLE OPEN POSITIONS UPON PIVOTING OF SAID FIRST HINGE ROD IN RESPONSE TO MANIPULATION OF SAID THUMB KEY, BB TONE HOLE CLOSURE MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID BB TONE HOLE CLOSURE MEANS ON SAID SECOND HINGE ROD AND MOVABLE BETWEEN BB TONE HOLE CLOSING AND HOLE OPEN POSITION UPON PIVOTING OF SAID SECOND HINGE ROD, SPRING MEANS TENDING TO MOVE SAID BB TONE HOLE CLOSURE MEMBER TO HOLE OPEN POSITION, AN ARM EXTENDING FROM SAID SECOND HINGE ROD, IN THE VICINITY OF SAID BB TONE HOLE CLOSURE MEANS, ONE-WAY FORCE TRANSMITTING MEANS ACTING BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND HINGE RODS TO PREVENT SAID BB TONE HOLE CLOSURE MEANS FROM MOVING INTO HOLE OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID THUMB KEY IS DEPRESSED, REGISTER HOLD CLOSURE MEANS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID REGISTER HOLE CLOSING MEANS ON SAID THIRD HINGE ROD FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN REGISTER HOLE CLOSING AND HOLE OPEN POSITION, SPRING MEANS TENDING TO MOVE SAID REGISTER HOLE CLOSURE MEANS TO HOLE OPEN POSITION, AN ARM ON SAID THIRD HINGE ROD SIMILAR TO AND EXTENDING PARALLEL AND ADJACENT TO THE ARM ON THE SECOND HINGE ROD, ONE-WAY DRIVE MEANS ACTING BETWEEN SAID FIRST HINGE ROD AND SAID THIRD HINGE ROD AND EFFECTIVE TO PREVENT SAID REGISTER HOLE CLOSURE MEMBER FROM MOVING TO HOLE OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID THUMB KEY IS RAISED, RELATIVELY STRONG SPRING MEANS ACTING ON SAID THUMB KEY TO MAINTAIN SAID THUMB KEY RAISED EXCEPT WHEN MANUALLY DEPRESSED AS BY THUMB PRESSURE, A FOURTH HINGE ROD, A FIFTH HINGE ROD, MEANS MOUNTING SAID FOURTH AND FIFTH HINGE RODS FROM SAID INSTRUMENT BODY IN ALIGNMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER BUT LATERALLY SPACED FROM SAID FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD HINGE RODS, A LEFT THUMB SPATULA, MEANS MOUNTING SAID LEFT THUMB SPATULA FROM SAID FOURTH HINGE ROD IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SAID LEFT THUMB KEY, RELATIVELY STRONG SPRING MEANS ACTING TO MAINTAIN SAID THUMB SPATULA RAISED EXCEPT WHEN MANUALLY DEPRESSED BY THUMB PRESSURE, AN ARM ON SAID FIFTH HINGE ROD OVERLYING BOTH OF THE SECOND AND THIRD HINGE ROD ARMS, AND EFFECTIVE TO HOLD BOTH OF THE SECOND AND THIRD HINGE ROD ARMS DOWN EXCEPT WHEN SAID LEFT THUMB SPATULA IS MANUALLY DEPRESSED AS BY THE LEFT THUMB, WHEREBY DEPRESSION OF SAID LEFT THUMB KEY ALONE RESULTS IN CLOSURE OF SAID OTHER TONE HOLE, DEPRESSION OF SAID LEFT THUMB SPATULA ALONE RESULTS IN OPENING OF SAID BB TONE HOLE, AND SIMULTANEOUS DEPRESSION OF SAID LEFT THUMB KEY AND SAID LEFT THUMB SPATULA RESULTS IN OPENING OF SAID REGISTER HOLE. 